


I Remember You (Listening To This Song)

by elutherya



Category: ATEEZ (Band), ONEUS (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Pre-Relationship, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:53:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21994795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elutherya/pseuds/elutherya
Summary: Youngjo’s expression is so open, his heart on his sleeve. In the cold snap of the street market, it’s something that Hongjoong wishes he was better at himself. So he tries.
Relationships: Kim Hongjoong/Kim Youngjo | Ravn
Comments: 21
Kudos: 75
Collections: Round One





	I Remember You (Listening To This Song)

**Author's Note:**

> Happy holidays, have some extreme schmoop! This was written for the first round of the CAW Fic Fest. I love you my babies!

Hongjoong regrets not bringing a scarf, or at least a heavier jacket, when a sharp breeze blows through the market. He’d been in a rush, an excuse of going to the studio on the tip of his tongue to Seonghwa, before he’d been dashing off. Now, shivering as he scurries past a crowd lingering outside the door of a shop, he regrets the way he’d raced out.

If he _had_ waited, he knows that he would have ended up with one or two of his boys joining him and while he normally enjoys their company, shopping with them would have made it impossible to find their gifts. If he had waited, he’d have had to find another time to venture out and the lack of warmth is something he’s willing to trade for not making another trip.

With a grumble, he continues down the street, contemplating the merits of buying a new pair of gloves when he already has three pairs back at the dorm.

“Hey!”

Hongjoong jerks to a stop when he feels a hand on his shoulder, looking up to see whoever had grabbed him. He blinks in surprise, taking a moment to realize that it’s Youngjo standing beside him breathless. He’s so used to the endless messages from him that seeing him standing there in person is a shock.

“Hi,” he pushes the word out, still catching up. Youngjo’s hand drops from his shoulder and Hongjoong watches as he sinks into his jacket. He looks soft, with his hair curling slightly and cheeks pink from the chill. It’s a lot different from how he normally looks, with the stage makeup and costumes removed. _He looks good,_ Hongjoong thinks, dazed. 

“I didn’t expect to run into anyone that I knew,” Youngjo nudges Hongjoong’s side and he takes the gesture to start walking again. Youngjo falls into step beside him, gaze flicking over the tables lined up along the sidewalk and to the windows of the shops. It’s only when Youngjo looks back to him that Hongjoong realizes that he’s been staring.

“Last minute gift shopping?” Youngjo asks and it doesn’t take a genius to recognize that he’s trying to offer Hongjoong a safe conversation topic. It’s so incredibly _him_ , easing the way for the people around him. It’s something that Hongjoong has come to know through all the text messages they’ve shared and all the late night phone calls when one of them is in the studio and stuck.

Hongjoong’s not too proud to admit that he’s more often than not the one who gets stuck. That he’s the one who ends up texting Youngjo well into the evening, frustrated, only to have Youngjo’s name show up on his caller ID a few minutes later.

Having someone who willingly fills the silence of Hongjoong’s studio with noise, when the idea of listening to the track he’s been working on makes him want to slam his laptop shut has become invaluable in his creative process. It’s something that he’s come to cherish since they met back during Mixnine, having someone who understands the mental exhaustion of trying to produce a song, while also stressing about debuts and comebacks. 

It’s different over the phone though. It’s different when Youngjo isn’t standing right beside him.

“Yeah, I just want to find a few more things,” Hongjoong shakes his head, focusing on the now. He looks away from Youngjo and to one of the stalls, fingers trailing over the trinkets laid about the table cloth. 

“I came to find a few things too. Want to do it together? It’s more fun with company.”

There’s a hesitancy in the words that has Hongjoong’s attention snapping back to Youngjo, who’s turned his own gaze down to the table. 

It reminds Hongjoong that Youngjo isn’t that much older than he is. That they’re both part of an industry that breeds insecurity and that despite all the late night calls and texts, Hongjoong’s never outright made an effort to see him outside of promotions. 

_Too busy. Never in the same city. Too tired._ There’s always an easy excuse.

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Hongjoong exhales, bumping his shoulder against Youngjo’s, just to see the way it startles a smile out of him. “I’ve got no idea what I’m looking for. Company will be good.”

“I know what I came for, so we can wander until you find something that works.”

Hongjoong nods, smiling at the way Youngjo seems to hold himself a little less tense. His expression is so open, his heart on his sleeve. It’s something that Hongjoong knows from the other ONEUS boys: that Youngjo wears his love in the open.

It’s something that Hongjoong wishes he was better at himself.

“We can get hot chocolate once we finish. Do the whole holiday thing right.”

“Oh, I’d like that.” Youngjo’s smile grows and Hongjoong can’t help the way he laughs at how obvious he is. 

Another breeze tears through the market and Hongjoong shivers, burrowing deeper into his jacket. “Let’s find a shop to look at first, it’s cold out here.”

Youngjo hums, a soft noise that he takes for agreement and turns away from the table. There’s twinkling lights and neon signs, and Hongjoong sorts through which ones might be good to venture into first.

He jerks when Youngjo’s hand brushes against his cheek, but Youngjo seems unbothered. He just reaches around him and Hongjoong can feel his hands working at the collar of his coat. It’s not until Youngjo is pulling his scarf forward that Hongjoong realizes what he’s doing.

Youngjo is still smiling, and even though his cheeks and nose are pink from the chill, he doesn’t hesitate to wrap Hongjoong up in his scarf. He loops it around him once, and the warmth of it is too hard to resist. Hongjoong buries his nose against the wool, a reprieve from the bitter wind, and mumbles a small sound of gratitude.

“You looked cold,” Youngjo shrugs, pulling his hands away.

Hongjoong can feel his cheeks flushing, but he hides it by tugging the scarf up a little higher. It makes him all to aware that he can smell Youngjo, his cologne sitting in the scarf. It’s almost too much, especially with Youngjo standing so close.

“Thank you,” Hongjoong manages to push out. 

“It’s nothing,” Youngjo returns and Hongjoong thinks that for Youngjo offering up these little pieces of himself, is as easy as breathing.

Youngjo turns away to start walking, but Hongjoong’s hand snaps out, wrapping tightly around his jacket sleeve and stops him. He stares down at his fingers, at how pink they are against the dark fabric of Youngjo’s jacket and wonders what he’s doing. The world seems to go still around them for a moment as Hongjoong tries to work out what instinct pushed him to reach out. He doesn’t have time to figure it out though, because without a word, Youngjo is prying Hongjoong’s fingers away from his sleeve.

Embarrassment floods him, but before he can apologize, Youngjo is twining their fingers together and sliding their hands into his pocket. He does it with an ease that has Hongjoong burning with confusion. He’s so casual about it and before Hongjoong can ask, can even figure out _what_ to ask, he’s walking again and Hongjoong has no choice but to follow.

“There’s a shop just down the way that I want to stop at. Dongju-ah was eyeing one of the plushies there the other day,” Youngjo offers, loosening his fingers around Hongjoong’s. It’s obvious what he’s doing, but instead of pulling away like Youngjo expects him to, Hongjoong falls into step beside him and tightens his grip on Youngjo’s hand.

Youngjo looks down towards him and Hongjoong can see the surprise on his face. It quickly gives way to a pleased little smile and something flutters in Hongjoong’s chest at how that smile is directed at him.

“Come on.”

It’s easy for Hongjoong to follow Youngjo when he looks away, to let himself relax and not think about the warm feeling sitting in his chest. It’s easy to let Youngjo take the lead and to let himself go along with wherever this is going.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to come talk to me about these boys, possible prompts or anything at all: you can find me over at [twitter](https://twitter.com/Elesteria). I'm always down to chat at new people! You can also find me at [curiouscat](https://t.co/1yfgiUBE0r) if you have any thoughts, prompts or stuff that you're too nervous to say in public.


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